Extended Family
by CiaraOfTheDawn
Summary: Home is where the heart is, but what if your's had been left behind? Forgotten. A story of love, loss, and discovery. Hiei/OC, Kurama/OC. Rated T for now but might change to M. Chapter five is up now. Please drop a review if you like it or have feedback.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **All characters found in this fanfiction with the exception of Hinata, Mizu, and Hidesuke, are the property of the creative mind that is Yoshihiro Togashi.

**Warning:** Story contains OC romances concerning Hiei and Kurama

**Continuation:** I will only update the story when I have received at least five reviews per chapter. Flaming does not count as a review.

**Prologue**

Rain pounded against the roof of the dingy hovel that was once inhabited by the most feared and accomplished thief in the demon realm.

No longer were the walls filled with laughter and praises of a heist well done, now only a somber indifference met the outside world. Ever since he left, ever since the makeshift family dissipated without warning, one little demon was left with only memories of happier times and a young one to look after.

Strawberry blond bangs cascaded over heavily lidded doe brown eyes which watched intently for any kind of movement other than than the monotonous rain drops. Fox ears atop her head drooped sideways as she finally succumbed to a persistent yawn.

A defeated sigh forced through slightly parted lips as she cast a final glance through the sole window before rising and retreating to the blanket filled corner closest to the barren fire place where an earth elemental snoozed quietly. Any hope of a warm night was dashed with the sudden onslaught of torrential rain.

A tear ran the length of the earth elemental's face. Only in his sleep did Hidesuke let the anguish of his life overtake him, allowing liquid sorrow to flow from his molten emerald eyes.

_'Must be dreaming of the mother he never knew,'_ the fox reasoned, as she lightly brushed the remaining tears from his face before they had time to stain his tan skin. Following this action, she took in her imposed wards appearance: choppy brown bangs clung to his dampened, emaciated cheeks as his tiny chest rose and fell with each uneven breath.

Lightning flashed outside, illuminating the small room for the briefest of instants. That burst of light was enough to silhouette a figure peering into the one room dwelling before sliding from view in a single fluid movement.

Ears at attention and curiosity prickling at her senses, the fox cast a glance at her companion before rising and walking toward the door. Her heart pounded in her ears and her hands shook as they reached for the knob. Wrenching open the door she took in the sight of the mysterious figure before her.

The bright blue orbs of the rain soaked visitor peered down in a half glare at the fox demon. Rain drops glistened off her abnormally pale skin. Long strands of white hair, escaped from an elaborate braid, whipped around in the storm induced wind. Hands clutched a wound on her side in an attempt to ebb the flow of blood.

"Hin... Hinata?" the woman asked, wincing with every spoken syllable.

A small nod from the fox demon confirmed that the assumption was indeed correct. Her tail thrashed behind her as a familiar scent, albeit diluted from the rain, wafted in through the door. _'Brother? How can that be? What happened to you?'_

"He's not coming back," the woman said, seeming to answer Hinata's thoughts. "Your brother has..." her knees buckled and she sank to the decomposing wooden floor with a grunt, clutching her injured side more forcefully.

Intrigued by the mention of her brother's whereabouts, Hinata wrapped one of the mysterious stranger's arms around her neck and hoisted her up. She helped her over to the corner closest to the fire place, careful to not disturb the only other inhabitant.

"Who are you? How do you know my brother?" Hinata demanded in a voice hoarse from years of disuse, after depositing her surprise visitor on a blanket that had somehow managed to retain some of its original cushion.

The visitor seemed to hesitate, as if wondering how much to disclose. "My name is Mizu." She sighed when she locked eyes with the expectant Hinata and realized that she would not be permitted to ignore the latter question. "I do not pretend to know your brother, but I know his patterns only because I was hired to destroy him."

_'Hired to destroy him? What has he done this time?'_ Hinata wondered, furrowing her brow in concentration.

Seeming to have regained some of her strength, Mizu sat up with her back against the cold stone of the wall, quickly regretting the sudden movement as her wound opened further. "He escaped before the final blow could be dealt. My old colleagues believe he retreated to the human world." she said through gritted teeth.

Forcing Mizu back into her original horizontal position, Hinata cut away at the cloth obstructing her view of Mizu's injury, pushing her back down when she tried to once again rise into a seated position.

"Why are you wasting your time with someone that just told you they had every intention of killing your twin brother?" Mizu asked bewildered.

Hinata smiled and shook her head as if the answer were obvious. "But you didn't. This is not a wound sustained from battle with my brother but rather from your colleagues," she said with a sad smile, watching as her ward began to stir. "You let him escape and that's why you have such a terrible wound."

"You're... you're wrong," Mizu tried to reason, once again struggling to sit up and shoo Hinata's hands away.

With a bit more force and a squeeze to a pressure point just above Mizu's collarbone, Hinata gave a hollow chuckle as Mizu seemed to accept the fact that she was not getting up anytime soon. "So what about him seduced you?" she asked, motioning for the now conscience earth elemental to gather bandages from the solitary cabinet.

A minute blush graced Mizu's checks, bringing much needed color to her face. "It wasn't like that I can assure you. I despised his constant womanizing ways, his swaggering arrogance..." she trailed off, a tint of lust lacing her tone.

Hinata smirked to herself, deciding it best to leave the matter be for now.

Without much consideration, a sense of kinship developed between the two women that dark, miserable night. Little did they know of the journey of love and loss they would soon be embarking upon.

* * *

Authors notes: There you have the prologue of what is to come. As stated above, I will not even think about posting the following chapters if I don't get at least five reviews per chapter.


	2. A Not So Grand Reunion

**Disclaimer: **All characters found in this fanfiction with the exception of Hinata, Mizu, and Hidesuke, are the property of the creative mind that is Yoshihiro Togashi.

**Warning:** Story contains OC romances concerning Hiei and Kurama. If you are expecting a love at first sight story, I'm sad to say you will be left lacking. I am going to keep each character in character to the best of my abilities, and the main ones concerned will need time for things to develop romantically.

**Continuation:** I will only think about updating this story when I have received at least five reviews per chapter (the prologue was an exception). Flaming does not count as a review.

* * *

**Chapter One: A Not So Grand Reunion**

**Eighteen Years Later:**

While Yusuke Urameshi would consider his life decent, he would find it laughable to call it average or, more importantly, fair. Raised by a known alcoholic, feared and thereby ostracized by his peers, killed unexpectedly only to be brought back as an errand boy for the prince of spirit world, and now this, pinned against a wall length glass display case while his childhood friend, Keiko Yukimora, interrogated him.

"This is the fifth time in two weeks that you have skipped school to hang out in this jewelry store. Not to mention it seems that the only reason you go to school when you do show up is to talk to Kuwabara about this store. What's going on Yusuke? What are you looking for?" she all but demanded.

"Calm down will ya Keiko? It's not like I'm looking for something for you." Yusuke retaliated, his palms facing outwards in a defensive motion.

He realized that he should have just remained silent as soon as the last word passed through his lips.

Keiko's eyes widened, taking on a look of shock and anger. "I'll just leave you to it then. I hope whomever it's for can tutor you for all the classes you've missed." she huffed before sprinting out of the establishment.

"Damn it Keiko, that's not what I meant," he called out after her retreating form, earning a glare from the store clerk. "What the hell are you looking at old man?!" he followed sharply, returning the store manager's stoney glare.

"What did you say to her this time Yusuke?" an overly perky voice teased with a slight giggle.

A grumble escaped his lips as he turned towards his less than helpful partner who seemed to take pleasure in badgering him on his latest fiasco concerning his would-be girlfriend.

"I told her a partial truth, that I wasn't looking for anything for her. What was I supposed to tell her, Botan?" he asked through clenched teeth. "I'm here guarding Sybil's necklace to make sure no human discovers its got the gift of ultimate sight, and to make sure no demon tries to steal it?" he demanded in a harsh whisper, pulling her face close to his for emphasis.

Nervous giggles passed through lips curved into a goofy smile when Yusuke finally released her. "Well you should begin think of a better excuse for the manager, cause he's on his way over," Botan said in her sing-song voice, skipping over to a display of glittering diamonds.

_'Damn it Koenma! Will this week EVER be over?!'_ he snarled mentally as he wracked his brain for a cover story.

* * *

**With Hinata and Hidesuke:**

A pair of large doe brown eyes along with a pair of molten emerald orbs followed the retreating form of a seemingly ordinary human girl. Many different emotions had been seen on numerous faces, but this was a new one. It was neither surprise nor tears of joy, but rather utmost despair etched into her features, eyes brimming with unshed tears as she ran through the doors and down the street.

"Yusuke you JERK!" the girl blubbered, blinking several times in order to keep a new wave of tears from pushing through her defenses.

Mizu drifted out of the store with her ever present smile in place, narrowly avoiding a collision with a blue haired teen. Something about the appearance of this girl told her this plight was going to be much harder than either she or Hinata had predicted.

"We have more opposition than previously anticipated," Mizu reported after joining her comrades on the bench opposite the store. "Are you prepared to..." she stopped short at the slightly insulted yet determined look shot to her by Hinata, mirrored by Hidesuke.

"Fair enough," Mizu sighed, stretching her arms out before her.

_'If we are to complete this tonight we'll need to be well rested.' _Hinata thought as she rose to her feet, Hidesuke quickly following her lead. The pair both cast a backward glance at their remaining partner before heading to the residence they had deemed their hideout.

* * *

**Later That Night:**

Black, skin tight spandex covered the band of thieves from head to toe, eliminating any defining characteristics which might other wise have exposed their identities to security cameras. Only eyes and a small opening for a mouth broke the monotonous flow of the dark fabric.

Hinata ran through the plan several times on the way to the scene of their next heist. _'The escape is the only portion we haven't perfected. Now is not the time to rush into this blindly. Too many unknowns present the fatal flaw of the unexpected becoming the only possible outcome.'_

Mizu glanced over at her small partners and sighed. "I wish I could get you out of your own head. After eighteen years I still get the impression you would rather be alone. Do I bother you that much?"

Slightly embarrassed, Hinata turned to her comrade apologetically. Truth be told, she was glad for the added company, but after so many years of self-imposed silence, she found it difficult to put her thoughts into a coherent series of words.

Hidesuke grumbled in irritation, ready to voice his desire for the tallest of the three to not feel the need to fill every moment of silence with her useless prattle. He had learned from Hinata early on that actions, whether intentional or not, speak louder than words ever could. _'Perhaps it's because she's always talking that she misses so much,' _Hidesuke reasoned in a effort to understand how someone of Mizu's years could be so blind to body language.

"I know it's not like that," Mizu sighed, once again regretting her constant utterance of thoughts before thinking them through. "What a group we are," she giggled on a lighter note. "Two constantly inside their own heads, the other without a filter, blurting out whatever comes to mind."

The store that housed Sybil's necklace morphed into their range of vision. All conversation ceased as the realization of the weight that the heist carried came full circle.

Pulling a weed out of one of the two gardens framing the entrance to the store, Hinata inserted the stem into the lock, manipulating its form, creating a makeshift key. Her ears flattened against her head in concentration.

Once Hidesuke heard the click of the lock receding he darted into the store. He studied the key pad to the alarm intently for several precious seconds. His brows furrowed into what Mizu called his twinkles. Dust, dirt, and flecks of dead skin, invisible to the untrained eye, coated the numbers. The darker the fingerprint, the earlier in the series of the combination the number was struck. As the ware of the buttons became clearer, his ability to call forth earthly contaminants serving him well, Hidesuke was struck with a sudden onset of panic.

He had over looked the possibility that a number could have been used more than once in the code. The fingerprint was roughly the same pigment on two different keys. With his newly acquired knowledge several new combinations presented themselves.

_'The heist is going to be a failure because I'm as unprepared as __**Mizu**__. Hinata, the only mother I have ever known, will be distraught after all the time she has invested in training me. I owe her everything, and I'm letting her down!'_ he thought, his hand beginning to shake as it hovered over the number pad.

A reassuring hand was placed on his shoulder giving it a gentle squeeze.

Hidesuke turned, expecting to meet the hard eyes of Hinata, angry that he had not completed his task. What he saw instead gave him pause. Rather than a look of impatience and displeasure, Hinata gave a small smile before closing her eyes and slowly nodding her head. 'I believe in you' she seemed to say.

After taking a deep breath, he gave another, almost instantaneous, look at the key pad before his fingers skillfully hit the numbers 613370 in quick succession, half expecting to trigger the alarm himself.

The only sound that could be heard after the last beep of the final number being struck was the sound of ragged breathing coming from Hidesuke as he all but sank to the floor. Relief washed over him, taking with it some of his strength in the absence of the adrenalin.

"Way to go Hidesuke! I could see your twinkles from here!" Mizu cheered loudly, "You know, the twin wrinkles that show up when you're thinking." she added when he didn't respond, clearly thinking herself clever as she continued to congratulate the youngest member.

Hinata gave one of her rare smiles, so warm it could melt the ice encasing anyone's heart. Hidesuke felt his cheeks burn, thankful for the black mask that hid his features.

Hinata silenced Mizu with a look as her ears, previously flattened beneath her mask, swiveled forward. They had caught the faintest sound from outside. She pleaded with her eyes for Mizu to commence with her portion of the operation.

Hidesuke could feel the ground shift ever so slightly as the source of the noise that reached Hinata's ears came closer. A low rumble emanated from his chest.

With both of her comrades staring at her with such intensity the now silenced Mizu glided to the case that housed their intended conquest. She became absolutely still, almost ridged as her right arm morphed into water. She eased her new liquid extremity into the crack between the hinges of the glass encasing. By rearranging the space between the molecules contained in her right arm, she was able to increase the viscosity of the water and force the lock up and away from it's anchored position. All that was left to do was open the case and make their grand escape.

Unfortunately, in the time it took for the water elemental to complete her final transformation to her solid state, the traditional entrance was blocked by two figures.

Motherly instinct took over in the face of danger. Hidesuke's emerald eyes met the doe brown ones of Hinata as they readied themselves into a combative position, back to back. As a unit they moved swiftly toward Mizu, intending to include her as insurance that no one would be attacked from behind.

The smaller of the two unknown rivals wasted no time in attacking, reaching Mizu before Hinata and Hidesuke had moved more than half way.

Had Hidesuke blinked he would have thought himself dreaming when he reopened his eyes again.

It's true that Mizu had been struck by the attacker's sword, but rather than blood pooling beneath her injured extremity, water flowed from her shoulder, suspending the sword within her liquid limb.

The necklace however was dropped when her arm changed states.

In order to keep the smaller of the two adversaries from making a grab for the artifact, she engaged in a battle of patients and strength, neither of them relinquishing their hold on the sword.

A glance from Hinata to Hidesuke made it clear that he was to remain where he was. The fox demon bolted for the necklace, sliding into the larger rival who also made a break for the treasure in question. Her fingers grasped the the central jewel, willing the chain to hold strong.

_'Allow me to find my brother and see him for who he is,'_ Hinata willed the necklace.

Smoke poured in from every window as everyone quelled their fighting to take in the odd spectacle. The smoke meandered through the store before converging at the feet of Hinata's red haired challenger. It curled around his legs, rising until it consumed his entire figure.

"Aah, Yoko is back," a deep voice called as the smoke began to recede.

"Yoko Kurama?" Hidesuke pondered. _'Was it really that easy?'_

"I see you've heard of me. As you can see, the rumors aren't true, I am very much alive," Yoko smiled, his voice a quiet, deadly purr.

Mizu released the sword, her arm once more solidifying as she pivoted to watch. _'He looks exactly the same,' _Mizu realized, her heart giving an involuntary flutter.

_'Idiot. His frail human body couldn't take anymore,'_ Kurama's counter part reasoned.

Hinata, battling the shock of her bother's sudden reappearance, stood and called for his attention. "Brother?"

"Little Hinata," Yoko greeted, a smirk lifting a corner of his lips. "It's been far too long. I see you have gathered a band of thieves for yourself without my consent. How very much like a woman." he scoffed.

* * *

**Author's note:** There you have the first real chapter. Sorry to leave in such a shifty place, but if I didn't cut the chapter off here there would be no end. Yes, I realize I was rather vague with the description of Hinata's opposition due to the fact she was unaware of who she was fighting, however I'm sure you've realized their identities. Please comment and tell me what you think and where I can improve.


	3. Sibling Rivalry Part 1: And it Begins

**Disclaimer: **All characters found in this fanfiction with the exception of Hinata, Mizu, and Hidesuke, are the property of the creative mind that is Yoshihiro Togashi.

**Warning:** Story contains OC romances concerning Hiei and Kurama. If you are expecting a love at first sight story, I'm sad to say you will be left lacking. I am going to keep each character in character to the best of my abilities, and the main ones concerned will need time for things to develop romantically.

**Continuation:** I will only think about updating this story when I have received around five reviews per chapter. Flaming does not count as a review.

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Two: Sibling Rivalry**

**Part 1: And it Begins**

Whatever Hinata had been expecting regarding her reunion with her brother, she was sadly left lacking. Her hands balled themselves into fists before she threw a right hook at her brother, landing it square on his jaw.

Her pockets, lined with newly remembered dandelion seeds, became her next target of interest. Taking a handful of seeds, she flashed a patronizing smirk at her brother who countered with a glare. _'Underestimating me like old times brother? How very much like a weak minded opponent. I expected better from you,'_ she thought, throwing her handful.

Hidesuke, never taking his eyes off Hinata, parted the ground before manifesting a small earthquake to insure the seeds were planted.

Mizu, only seeing the action because of her focus on Yoko, caught on to the unspoken plan fairly quickly. She manipulated the water coursing through the sprinkler system and directed the flow toward the newly planted seeds, all the while keeping an eye on the smaller assailant.

It was almost laughable; the three of them working both seamlessly and silently to create their ultimate escape.

Using her energy, Hinata caused the normally harmless weed to sprout instantaneously, entangling the once feared Yoko Kurama as his partner tried in vain to cut the rampant plants back before the stems could encircle Yoko's throat.

In the end, however, his katana proved useless as the rapidly augmenting foliage ripped it from his grasp, effectively ensnaring him with his counterpart.

As a final stab to the infamous spirit fox's pride, Hinata placed the necklace back in it's case. "Not even a shiny trinket can make this night worth while. You've failed me for the last time, brother." she spat. _'I have already gotten what I believed I wanted. I'm not the same little girl he left over one-hundred years ago.'_ she reminded herself, her thoughts as venomous as her tone.

Stepping forward cautiously, Hidesuke came up beside Mizu, a low growl radiating from his chest. "Go. She's not finished yet." he urged, watching Hinata's expression change ever so lightly from one of annoyance, to one of calculation.

"Hinata, you've had your fun." Mizu sighed, remembering how cruel the little fox had the tendency to be when provoked.

_'She's not finished by a long shot.' _Hidesuke thought, a small smile raising the corner of his lips as he thought of the entertainment that was to come.

"Go home and ready yourself." Hinata all but growled, her eyes taking on an almost sadistic look, "This won't take too long."

Mizu let out a small squeak and a giggle as Hidesuke forcefully took hold of her wrist before swiftly exiting the establishment. "It's good to see you in such high spirits Hidesuke." Mizu commented.

_'Perhaps she's more observant than I give her credit for.'_ Hidesuke pondered, letting his smile fade back into his familiar stoney expression.

* * *

Hinata looked over her handy-work: a small field of dandelions having ensnared her brother as well as his silent partner.

She sauntered over to the pair, confident that her next move would ensure a few more days of entertainment concerning her brother. Plucking the smallest of the rampant flowers out of the ground, Hinata spun the stem between her fingers, taking note of the sheer size of the flower; the head bordering that of a sunflower's.

Casting another sadistic smile at the pair, she intertwined the stem within Yoko's silver locks and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Now it's my turn to run." she smirked, turning her attention to the second assailant to be trapped withing the confines of her dandelion fortress.

Her smirk became almost patronizing as she placed her lips against the bandana covering the silent one's Jagon eye. "Keep an eye out for me." she whispered with a wink before her departure, leaving the pair to contemplate her behavior and knowledge.

* * *

Bright blue orbs and glistening emerald eyes peered through the slightly parted curtains, straining to be the first to catch sight of Hinata as she made her glorious return to them.

Hidesuke noticed the black clad figure racing towards their current location and smirked upon seeing Hinata rip off her mask and bound to the second story without the use of the staircase.

He lost no time in advancing toward the door, wrenching it open and stepping aside to allow Hinata within the trio's hideout, taking note of her pleased expression.

He was not the only one to notice the sly smile lifting the corners of her lips.

"Are we expecting visitors?" Mizu questioned, flowing effortlessly into Hinata's range of sight. "Or are they still tied up?" she giggled as Hinata and Hidesuke rolled their eyes at the mediocre pun.

* * *

Yoko Kurama growled in rage. His head thrashed side to side as venomous curses slid from his lips. As his siege of rage passed, his entire body quivered before his form morphed back into that of Suichi Minamino.

Hiei fumed, all trace of his composed indifference eradicated. His silence spoke volumes of his fury.

A loud "Bingo!" resonated around the one room enclosure before the chipper deity of death materialized, suspended in the air atop her oar. "I had a feeling I'd find you two here. When you didn't answer I figured you might be" she paused, fighting back giggles "tied up."

Hiei's savage snarl and piercing glare sobered Botan instantaneously.

With the exception of a nervous giggle, she released the two fighters from their dandelion imprisonment wordlessly, never chancing a glance at her black clad comrade.

Following the completion of her first task, Botan worked to untangle the flower that had all but knotted itself within Kurama's now crimson mane. "What's with the flower Kurama? Does someone have an admirer?" she giggled, back in high spirits, tapping the tip of his nose with the newly freed flower.

"A present," he answered, his voice sharper than Botan had expected as his fingers took the offending flower from her grasp, "from my sister." His fist clenched and eyes narrowed, following the petals as they drifted aimlessly toward the ground.

Hiei discarded his bandana with a snarl and opened his Jagon eye to search for the aforementioned vexing demon. He followed the traces of her energy signature to it's concentrated source prior to securing the fabric across his third eye and darted toward Hinata's location without another word.

"Follow us and bring Yusuke and Kuwabara. I don't believe they will surprise us and get the upper hand again, however, it would be best if the entirety of the team were present." Kurama explained before pursuing the infuriated fire demon.

* * *

It didn't take Hiei anytime at all to reach the location of the concentrated source of Hinata's energy signature. In a flash, he appeared by the apartment door, completely demolishing the flimsy barrier in an instant, leaving nothing but a pile of splinters.

"You could have just knocked." Mizu taunted whilst beaming, her elbows propping her up against the counter while her hands cupped her chin, "The door was unlocked."

There was a blur of movement from behind the counter before several forks whizzed through the air, embedding themselves into the wall where Hiei had been standing not two seconds before.

_'He's faster than I thought. The rumors must be true.'_ Hinata pondered as she watched Hiei intently from around the side of the counter.

"Hinata!" a voice called from the barren door frame, "It's time we finish this, sister."

Kurama entered the apartment, flicking the switch located by the door, bathing the room in florescent light. His eyes flickered to his sister to take in the changes in her appearance since they had last been together. The differences were subtle yet striking, as paradoxical as his younger sister was.

Hinata's golden hair, laced with tinges of orange, that once reached her her mid back was now cropped short and delicately brushed her collar bone, giving a look of innocence yet one of sophistication. Her ears, matching her hair color, were flattened sideways while her doe brown eyes, currently fixed in a hard stare, were partially covered by a curtain of cascading bangs. In the same marks of agitation, her full lips were tightly pursed together. Her face had lost the pudge of adolescence and faint traces of scars from past battles crossed her cheeks like whiskers. Her frame, at an unimpressive 4'8, paled in comparison to his seven feet whilst in his demon form.

Kurama marveled at the fact that they could possibly be part of the same gene pool, let alone the same litter.

Hiei's attention was torn between Mizu's infuriating taunting smile and the vexing sister of his partner.

A small movement from the hallway leading to the bedroom caught Hinata's attention and brought a small grin to her lips.

Hidesuke clenched a tiny vial containing a rust colored powder in one hand and Hinata's weapon of choice in the other. He reached back, aimed at Hinata and released the vial an instant before Hiei appeared in front of him, sword drawn.

Keeping Hinata's sickle in his grasp, he parried the blow from Hiei's katana with a crudely made Tantō, constructed entirely out of stone, quickly retrieved from his side pocket.

Kurama locked eyes with his younger twin prior to chastely running a hand through his crimson mane and retrieving a single rose.

_'Over a hundred years have passed and you haven't learned any new tricks. How disappointing, brother.'_

"Rose whip." Kurama announced, using his energy to change the form of the flower into a long whip, complete with thorns. A single flick of Kurama's wrist directed the whip to slice through the vial sailing toward Hinata.

His eyes widened when, from the point of contact with the vial, his whip began to disintegrate until nothing remained.

"Thank you Hidesuke." Hinata mumbled, thoroughly enjoying the stunned look on her brother's face, _'It seems my corrosion powder has taken you by surprise, brother. There are many more surprises waiting for you.'_

Mizu tore her attention away from the pair once she realized that Hidesuke's limited experience with physical weaponry would prove fatal if left any longer against a fighter with half the blood lust that was radiating from Hiei.

With stealth only acquired from years of assassin's training, Mizu's fingers slid silently across the counter top before encircling a metal handle within her grasp. Devoid of a second glance, the object was whisked off the surface and quickly placed against Hiei's throat.

The sensation of cold metal pressed against his warm skin gave Hiei pause for an instant before he realized the blade was as dull as a spoon.

That pause was all Hidesuke needed to roll between Hiei's legs, tucking the sickle carefully to his chest.

"What exactly are you planning to do to me?" Hiei growled as he turned and grasped the metal handle just below Mizu's hand, "You'd be better off attacking me with your bare fingernails."

Not understanding, Mizu glanced down at her impromptu weapon of choice to discover she had been threatening the heir to Mukuro's territory with a metal serving spoon.

_'Stupid Mizu. What were you thinking?'_ Hidesuke grumbled, listening to the sounds of the katana slicing through the air and the sharp clang as the blow was blocked by portions of the spoon as Mizu twisted around to avoid being cleaved in two_, 'I hope you have better luck with this.'_ He passed off his stone Tantō before taking advantage of Kurama's stunned state, passing Hinata her weapon and a second vial.

Through a subtle flick of her eyes toward the vacant door frame, Hinata directed Hidesuke to position himself there and watch for intruders.

He complied, arming himself with a large cast iron skillet.

The water elemental, whose training focused mainly on stealth and taking one's opponent off guard, was constantly on the defensive and losing ground to her fiery adversary.

Hinata, on the other hand, brandished her sickle and advanced toward her brother as she uncorked her newly obtained vial, sprinkling the violet powder along the inner sharpened blade.

His sister's movement seemed to jolt Kurama back to his senses. Another brush through his hair with his fingers produced a second rose, identical to it's predecessor. "Rose whip." he called once more as his weapon of choice curled around its master's feet, "I will not hold back." he warned.

_'Such arrogance. Does he actually think I would cower with my tail between my legs? This will be different from our sparring matches. I will have you gasping for breath at my hands!' _Hinata mentally cursed, teeth bared as she propelled herself toward her brother, twisting her body to avoid the thorns of the approaching whip.

Despite her precision, Hinata had to sacrifice both flesh and blood to the hungry questing thorns in exchange for a position within striking distance.

Throughout her years of self imposed silence, Hinata passed her days thinking back to what seemed to be another life. She replayed their competitions, memorizing the sequence of his movements and attacks.

Drawing from that knowledge, she ducked under the whip and immediately rolled right as the offending weapon crashed down where she had been moments before. In the time it took for Kurama to raise the whip for another attack, Hinata extended her left hand containing the sickle and grazed the inner blade against the back of his right thigh, resulting in a shallow wound.

A sharp pain penetrated her thoughts of a clean victory as thorns buried into both her wrists and she was hoisted off the ground, her sickle, now useless on the ground.

"It ends here Hinata. This entire night was foolish. You have never been a match for me, and I'm going to ensure you never will be." Kurama proclaimed, his green eyes boring almost apologetically into her determined brown ones as he kicked the handle of her sickle, sliding it far from her grasp.

_'This is far from over, brother. Underestimating me shall prove fatal.'_

A smirk lifted a corner of her lips as she noticed Kurama's hand begin to shake as a series of spasms wracked his body.

Panic flashed in Kurama's eyes right before his legs gave out and his knees sank into the plush carpet, "Paralysis powder." he mumbled in realization, feeling his muscles stiffening.

"Hinata!" Mizu cried, looking at her partner in disbelief, "Not on your brother."

Mizu had been fairing reasonably well against the enraged Hiei. Since she was unable to get the upper hand with the use of physical weaponry, she manipulated both her arms, wrapping them around Hiei's neck in an attempt to lesson his supply of oxygen, all the while dodging his blows.

Hiei was beginning to suffer the effects while Mizu was starting to tire from the amount of energy required to sustain her liquid limbs.

Both fighters ceased their attacks to watch the plight of Kurama.

* * *

**Authors Note:** So there you have the second chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. This is the part one of three in the "ark" if you will. I wanted to thank Kuramasredredrose, heve-chan, chocolateluvr13 for reviewing and giving constructive criticism. Thanks guys, you make the writing process easier.


	4. Sibling Rivalry Part 2: Fall of Twins

Yes, I'm a couple days late in uploading this chapter, but I have been struggling with computer problems that I hope to have wrapped up be the end of this week. That being said:

**Disclaimer: **All characters found in this fanfiction with the exception of Hinata, Mizu, and Hidesuke, are the property of the creative mind that is Yoshihiro Togashi.

**Warning:** Story contains OC romances concerning Hiei and Kurama. If you are expecting a love at first sight story, I'm sad to say you will be left lacking. I am going to keep each character in character to the best of my abilities, and the main ones concerned will need time for things to develop romantically.

**Continuation:** I will only think about updating this story when I have received somewhere close to five reviews per chapter. Flaming does not count as a review. I would like to thank Kuramasredredrose, heve-chan and chocolateluvr13 their reviews, support and constructive criticism. You guys are amazing and I hope that this chapter is worth the wait.

* * *

**Chapter Three: Sibling Rivalry**

**Part 2: The Fall of Twins**

Kurama, thankful his hand had somehow remained clenched around his whip, shifted his eyes to his sister before those too would succumb to the paralysis faced by the rest of his body, "We seem to be at an impasse."

"Have you accepted your fate so readily, or are you trying to hold out for your comrades? You know how quickly the paralysis will take over your organs." Hinata snarled, put off by Kurama's apparent calm and composure.

"Hinata," Mizu pleaded, casting a sympathetic look at Kurama's still body, "it wasn't supposed to end this way."

Her pleas fell on partially deaf ears.

_'It's not as if I'm in the position to get up and get the restoration powder. He started this. He started this over a century ago.'_ Hinata reasoned in an attempt to lessen the guilt that sent her heart plunging into her stomach, _'This is just the last sparing match we'll have.'_

The light dimmed from Mizu's normally brilliant blue eyes. The sting of tears pricked her senses as water welled up along her lower lid and threatened to spill over.

Hidesuke strained his ears to hear past the sounds of the night for distortions on the earth's surface, tuning out the dramatic turn of events behind him.

"Kurama," Hiei called out, the lack of oxygen still taking an effect, "don't stop fighting. The detective and moron should be here soon." he panted.

_'They, they won't make it in time.' _Mizu thought, losing the battle with her tears, resigning to letting them fall freely. With every tear that dropped to the ground, more and more of Mizu's arms solidified.

"So where are these friends of yours?" Hinata asked almost conversationally, meeting her brothers gaze for what she thought might be the last time. She felt her heart sink a little lower upon hearing Kurama's haggard breathing.

"Kurama! Hiei!" a voice bellowed before a muffled thud was heard coupled with a high pitched groan prior to the voice's owner sinking to his knees. His hands clutched his abused member as he crumbled into the fetal position.

"Damn Urameshi, brought to your knees by a crotch shot from a kid." a deep nasally voice laughed before succumbing to the same fate as his partner.

"That was them. Idiots." Hiei grumbled, having little sympathy for the pair, "Get up! Kurama doesn't have much longer!"

As if to accentuate the his circumstance, a shaky gasp passed though Kurama's lips. His eyes bugged out until they slowly began to recede and roll to the back of his head.

"Hidesuke, get the restoration powder." Hinata commanded, for the first time letting panic lace her tone.

Mizu watched Hidesuke scamper down the hallway leading to the bed rooms. She released Hiei from her grasp and placed one hand over her racing heart.

"What's going on here? Kurama? Is he... he's not...?" the newcomer Hinata presumed to be Yusuke Uramashi asked in rapid succession, not able to bring himself to finish his last question. His orange haired partner that, through process of elimination could only be Kuwabara, stood dumbstruck at the situation unfolding.

Within moments, Hidesuke was back, hand clutching a vial with a sprinkling of light blue powder floating along the bottom. Hand shaking, he passed the vial to Hinata.

"Is Kurama going to be okay?" Kuwabara asked in a nasally voice, looking from the vial to Kurama and back again.

Using his katana, Hiei sliced through the whip binding Hinata's wrists together, an easy enough task due to the lack of Kurama's spirit energy, "There is a chance." he snarled.

_'He's not breathing.' _Hinata noticed, struggling to remove the thorns now embedded within the skin of her wrists and ebb the flow of blood.

"Will someone tell me what the hell is going on?" the spirit detective demanded.

"Mizu will have to do it." Hidesuke said, taking notice of Hinata's unsteady hands, _'She might spill what little we have.'_

Hinata agreed and passed the vial carefully to Mizu.

"It has to reach his lungs. He's stopped breathing and doesn't have much time left. Work quickly." Hinata directed, stepping aside and leaning against a wall for both support and to give Mizu a unobstructed path to Kurama's deathly still form.

The water elemental's usual grace left as her body surged toward the object of her unrequited affections.

Upon reaching him, she turned him onto his back and pried his mouth open. Wasting no time with gazing into his eyes, as she normally would have if given the opportunity, Mizu emptied the contents of the vial into her mouth before placing her warm, moist lips upon the cold, lifeless ones of Kurama, blowing out the restoration powder which filled his lungs.

All that was left to do was wait.

Seconds, feeling more like hours, ticked by as the six fighters in the room looked for any sign of life from the still body in the middle of the room.

"Maybe... maybe he just needs some more?" Kuwabara offered, trying to break the awkward silence that seemed to encompass the onlookers.

Tears once again fell freely from Mizu's dull eyes. Her body shook with the force of her silent sobs as she stared down at Kurama's face, contorted in efforts to fight the inevitable effects of Hinata's paralysis powder.

"This is so stupid! How can he die?!" Yusuke yelled, on the verge of tears himself

Hiei let loose a savage snarl, turning his piercing red eyes, fixed in a glare, at the one responsible.

Hidesuke countered Hiei's glare with a stoney one of his own as he stood alongside Hinata, for better or worse.

_'Mizu was right, it wasn't supposed to end like this. Was it supposed to end at all?'_ Hinata wondered, her ears drooping to the side as the guilt continued to ravage her heart, tearing it into tiny pieces.

A noise, so quiet she thought she might have imagined it, reached her senses.

Her ears swiveled forward into their alert position and her head snapped up as a second noise came from the direction of her brother, _'He's still not breathing, but what is that sound?'_ She strained her ears until she could pin point the noise. It was a faint heartbeat, growing stronger with the passing seconds.

Slowly, a smile of relief lifted the corners of her lips and she placed a hand on Mizu's shoulder, gesturing towards Kurama.

Kurama's eyes flew open and he let out a loud gasp as much needed oxygen flooded his lungs. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he gulped down several large breaths of air in an attempt to rid his lungs of the burning sensation they faced due to being starved of oxygen for so long.

Sliding along the wall, Hinata sank to the plush carpet below and closed her eyes. She felt Hidesuke beside her as he followed her example, though not completely as she could still feel his stare.

_'What happens now? We've never failed before.'_ Hidesuke pondered, looking over at a slightly deflated Hinata.

No one took notice of the mentally exhausted pair as they rushed the newly revived Kurama.

"Yusuke. Kuwabara. I'm glad you made it." Kurama panted, looking up at them from his position on the floor. Groaning, he attempted to sit up, his body still stiff from its bout of the nearly permanent paralysis, "I must regain control of my body." he said in response to Yusuke's outstretched hand.

He struggled to his feet as his partners and Mizu, now restrained by Hiei, backed away to give him some space.

Hidesuke gently shook Hinata's shoulder as the sound of Kurama approaching reached his sensitive ears before scampering off to the bedroom, _'If we are to be taken captive we will be prepared.'_ he reasoned, packing as many of Hinata's poison powders as could be hidden inconspicuously.

A long shadow engulfed Hinata's tiny form, all the smaller in her shame and embarrassment.

Hiei, Yusuke, Kuwabara and Mizu watched from afar as Kurama gathered both of Hinata's wrists in one hand and hauled her to her feet.

Hinata reluctantly opened her doe brown eyes, expecting to meet green orbs, soft and gentle in comparison to the molten gold eyes she normally attributed to her brother. Unfortunately, like everything else that night, she realized her expectations did not mirror reality.

While the rest of her brothers appearance was that of his human form, a prominent difference gave Hinata pause. Cold, hard, golden eyes that haunted her memory bore into her's, pure frustration and anger shining through the multitude of other emotions.

Without a word, Kurama regained his composure, his eye color morphing back to his forest green, before he relinquished his sister to his three teammates. The action was coupled with a warning, "Keep a tight hold on her. I know what she is capable of."

_'Had he not been so angry with me, that might have been a compliment.' _Hinata thought, a light chuckle escaping at the realization.

Yusuke and Kuwabara tightened their hold on the chuckling Hinata as Mizu caught Kurama's eye. She blushed and seemed to apologize for her leader's sudden outburst.

Hidesuke scampered to Hinata's side, glaring at anyone who dared look in her direction. When his emerald eyes met the forest green of Kurama, Hidesuke's glare intensified tenfold and his little body shook with the effort of remaining still by Hinata.

She wrapped a maternal arm around his shoulders, holding him closer to her in an attempt to calm his writhing fury.

"So where do we take them Kurama?" Yusuke asked.

"Yeah, I mean it's not like they actually stole anything." Kuwabara added, looking between the three culprits.

"We shall take them to a holding cell in Spirit World for the night until Koenma has time to see them. We cannot keep them here." Kurama reasoned. He quickly led the group out through the barren door frame with Hiei at his side. The others followed some distance behind.

"You went too far Hinata!" Mizu scolded, her voice deathly serious and quiet, a rarity for the water elemental.

Hidesuke, blood already boiling, snapped back quietly, "She was only protecting herself. He would have surely killed her had she not. He's lucky she felt sorry for him and gave the restoration powder"

"Don't talk about things you don't understand!" Mizu hissed.

Hinata remained silent throughout this exchange while Yusuke and Kuwabara listened intently for clues as to what happened in that apartment prior to their arrival.

"He... he said he wouldn't go easy on her, that... that it was time to end it!" Hidesuke tried to argue, stammering ever so slightly.

"Tell him Hinata. Tell him how it was supposed to be fun, how you were only supposed to pin him for a ten count!" Mizu berated, "But you went too far."

"But she proved she was the better fighter. He would be dead without her." he defended as they crossed the barricade into the Spirit World and a wall of holding cells came within their range of sight.

An iron gate on rusty hinges noisily swung open, ending the conversation for the time being.

Mizu and Hidesuke both filed in obediently, moving to the back of the enclosure while Hinata stood by the gate.

The hinges creaked in protest once more and a deafening clang reverberated around the room as the gate was locked and secured.

"I want to speak to you. I think you owe me that much, brother." Hinata snarled, her fingers encircling the bars of the wrought-iron gate of the holding cell.

"What makes you think he owes you anything?" Hiei growled, putting a great deal of pressure on one of her injured writs with the intent of forcing her further into the cell.

An unlikely ally came to Hinata's aid.

"Hiei, let 'em talk!" Kuwabara said as he stepped forward, "And let go of her. Real men don't hurt girls."

"Real men aren't fooled by cheap tricks*." Hiei snarled, looking over Hinata disdainfully, but releasing her all the same.

Mizu and Hidesuke stood motionless, mouths agape at the implication along with Kuwabara.

"Whoa whoa whoa Hiei. That's hitting a little below the belt, don't ya think?" Yusuke reprimanded. Based on what he had seen, Hinata had saved his teammate. While he still saw her as a criminal, he figured she deserved a little better than underhanded shots.

"Hn. Do what you will Kurama. I don't care." Hiei said as he left his partners to their own devices. A nagging curiosity surfaced from the back of his mind, keeping him from venturing too much further once he was out of their range of vision. He crouched in the shadows and removed his bandana, allowing his Jagan Eye to open.

"It would be better for everyone if we are well rested. Head home and get some sleep. I will be along shortly." Kurama said calmly, effectively dismissing them.

Hidesuke found himself glaring at Kurama, sending silent venomous curses at him.

"What is it you want Hinata? I'm beginning to tire of this already." Kurama sighed, acting very much the exasperated older brother.

Hinata placed a strong hand on Hidesuke's shoulder, forcing him back, reminding him of his place and order, "Just for you to admit it. Admit that I bested you." she smirked, preparing herself for the one thing she longed to hear since she was left behind.

Golden eyes once more betrayed Kurama's otherwise calm composure as he fought to remain in his human form, "I will not admit something that isn't true." he said through clenched teeth.

Hinata felt the air rush from her lungs as if someone had sucker punched her.

Mizu stood dumbfounded while Hidesuke had finally reached the limit of his tolerance.

"She was CLEARLY the victor! She saved you from her attack! You would have died!" Hidesuke shouted, his hands balling themselves into fists.

Kurama sighed, as if bored with the conversation, "Precisely why she will never beat me. She was unable to finish the fight." An almost sadistic grin lifted the corners of Kurama's lips as his molten gold eyes glimmered in the dim lighting, "She will always be weak."

Where Hidesuke found the speed, even he didn't know. All he was aware of was that he now had a fist full of Kurama's shirt, forcing the once feared thief against the cold iron bars of the cell.

"Let him go Hidesuke! What are you doing?" Mizu wailed in alarm.

Hinata watched in surprise and mild amusement until Hidesuke spoke.

"He deserves to know how 'weak' she is." Hidesuke announced, his voice cracking, "My mother died before I met her. Hinata... Hinata gave up her food for me so I wouldn't end up sick like her and my mother. When... When the time came that there wasn't anything else to eat..." Hidesuke trailed off, his hold on Kurama's shirt tightening, "we were forced to eat what remained of my mother!"

Mizu felt her jaw drop. Hidesuke's past had always been shrouded in mystery, and now she knew why.

"It's all your fault!" Hidesuke continued, shoving Kurama away from him as tears fell freely.

Hinata held Hidesuke close, petting the back of his head in a comforting manner as he buried his face into her chest.

"Why don't you leave Kurama? You're good at that." Hinata said bitterly, turning her back on her brother.

"Koenma will see you tomorrow." Kurama said as a means to excuse himself, not sure how to respond to the weeping earth elemental.

Hiei closed his Jagan Eye, leaving the facility to ensure he wouldn't encounter Kurama.

Once Hidesuke had calmed down he smiled weakly at Hinata, "We're not going to be here when Koenma comes to see us, are we?" he asked, pulling out a vial of rust colored powder.

Mizu looked at the pair bewildered, "You aren't serious are you?"

Hinata answered her question by uncorking the vial, directing the flow of the powder toward the door of their cell.

"I don't have a choice in coming with you do I?" Mizu sighed.

Tired with Mizu's complaining and whispered insults, Hinata turned to her partner and glared, "Stay if you want, cowering with your tail between your legs. Apparently fighting isn't for everyone."

A look of confusion flashed in Mizu's eyes, "You want me to stay here?" she asked, sounding as if she were holding back tears.

Hidesuke shared an eye roll with Hinata as they each took one of Mizu's arms and led her through the large gaping hole in their cell.

* * *

Authors Note: *"Tricks" refers to either sexual favors from prostitutes or ploys they use to get business.


	5. Sibling Rivalry Part 3: Truths Revealed

I am back from my impromptu hiatus. Life happened and I needed to contend with that before continuing this. I hope I still have some readers out there and hopefully I'll attract some new ones.

**Disclaimer: **All characters found in this fanfiction with the exception of Hinata, Mizu, and Hidesuke (along with several minor characters and one major one down the line), are the property of the creative mind that is Yoshihiro Togashi.

**Warning:** Story contains OC romances concerning Hiei and Kurama. If you are expecting a love at first sight story, I'm sad to say you will be left lacking. I am going to keep each character in character to the best of my abilities, and the main ones concerned will need time for things to develop romantically.

* * *

**Chapter Four: Sibling Rivalry**

**Part Two: Truths Revealed**

Not an alarm sounded as Hinata, Mizu, and Hidesuke moved swiftly and silently down the darkened corridor. The only noises other than their quiet, hurried footsteps came in the form of startled gasps from inhabitants, jarred from a restless sleep. Luckily for the trio, the night guard was not among those that sensed the living shadows moving freely within the confinement. Regardless of that fact, they all but held their breath as they passed the security center.

With an exit looming within the trio's range of sight, Hinata slowed her pace to little more than a crawl. She scanned the walls and low hanging ceiling for the plethora of security devices she heard humming and beeping, piercing through the desired silence.

Hidesuke quieted Mizu with a hard glare before she could even ask why their progression had stopped, and gestured to several lenses protruding from the walls as well as the ceiling. "A grid of sensitive lasers." he answered simply.

"Crossing a beam alerts the security desk." Hinata continued.

"I knew that." Mizu said, waving off the implication that she was as simple as her partner's explanations. "So what do we do now?"

"Get to the other side." Hinata and Hidesuke answered, their tones bored. It was as if they expected nothing more than dimwitted questions from the ever smiling water elemental.

Mizu crossed her arms over her ample chest and gave an unceremonious grumble, her wide smile deflating into a simple grin. "I got that much. What I meant was how are we going to do it. I mean, how do you get past something you can't see?" Mizu pondered aloud.

Silence encompassed the trio. Even the persistent humming and beeping emanating from the accursed electrical devices seemed to fade. Hinata, Mizu and Hidesuke became engrossed with the daunting task before them.

"Hold your breath." Hinata commanded, taking several vials from Hidesuke.

Without a glance at the contents, Hinata took a deep breath and began throwing the vials of poison powders into the center of the laser force field that separated the trio from freedom.

One by one, the glasses shattered, releasing the powder into the air in deadly plumes. Dim lighting from the laser beams, invisible to the naked eye, shown through the delicate particles of the poison powders as they wafted through the air.

Hidesuke nudged Mizu and took and overly dramatic breath to convey the message to the stunned water elemental. She followed his lead after a few seconds.

Hinata lead the way through the laser beams with the precision of a skilled acrobat. Every flip, back hand spring, and summer salt brought the small fox demon closer to the exit and relief from the tainted air.

Mizu followed closely behind Hinata. She seemed to flow almost effortlessly around the laser grid as she too surged toward the sweet promise of uncontaminated air.

Hidesuke brought up the rear, his actions rigid and his pace slow at the beginning, but as time progressed, so did his speed, much like a boulder rumbling down the side of a mountain.

The door was flung open and the trio, with lungs burning and vision blurring, hunched over and took in large gulps of air before closing the door and sprinting across the demon plains toward the breach between worlds.

* * *

A shrill ringing cut through the silence that enveloped the security office located within the confines of the building. The sudden sound jolted the lone guard from his all too restful slumber.

Dazed and confused, the burly guard rubbed his eyes and stretched in a frail attempt to gather his limited wits about him. He glanced around, a frown etched upon his lips as he searched the assembly of monitors before him for any sign of what tripped the alarm. As his beady eyes dissected the multitude of images the alarm rang on, alerting the once snoozing inmates to the disturbance. Those contained in the holding cells to the right and left of the one rendered useless by means of Hinata's corrosion powder quickly spread the word of the apparent escape. Within moments, a riot ensued in the midst of the confusion of how such an escape was possible, all the while, the solitary vial, kicked back by the closing door which triggered the alarm lay forgotten for a time.

* * *

A low, monotonous drone pulled Kurama from his newly achieved slumber. He clenched his eyes tighter, willing himself back to the shores of sleep, but to no avail. With a defeated groan, he reached for his cell phone and answered without a look to the caller ID. "Do you have any idea what time it is?" he asked, his tone sharp and voice hoarse.

"Yeah," a voice yawned from the other end of the phone, "that's what I said."

An aggravated sigh pushed through Kurama's defenses at his team leader's flippant attitude so early in the morning. "What is it you want, Yusuke? When I told you we would talk in the morning, this isn't what I had in mind." he reprimanded.

"Right, like I wanted to be up this early." Yusuke said, his eye roll evident in his voice. "She's gone." he reported in a rare moment of seriousness. "I just got the call from Koenma. The only thing the guard could find was a vial that tripped the alarm. Damn riot kept him from finding it sooner. There's no telling where she is now!"

This information roused Kurama immediately, all thought of returning to a pleasant easy sleep faded as the gravity of Yusuke's words washed over him. Hinata was gone with no trace as to where she would go from this point forward. He snarled in frustration, solemnly refusing to let his younger sister get the upper hand in this game of cat and mouse. "Gather the others and meet me in Koenma's office. There are things that must be made clear." Kurama ended the call, not even pausing to bid Yusuke goodbye.

* * *

As the trio left their temporary prison, spurred on by individual desires, they split for the time being despite Mizu's protests. Hinata continued to travel within the boundaries of the spirit realm. She collected several ingredients to replenish her supply of poison powders. She may be confident, but she was not foolish. She realized that their escape from the holding cells left her vulnerable to an attack without a way to counter.

Hidesuke raced through the barrier with Mizu at his heals. Creeping from shadow to shadow, the pair made their way back to the hideout where victory had slipped through their fingers. Hidesuke spied Hinata's sickle near the doorway and took great care in wrapping a discarded dish towel around the blade. He cradled the weapon as if it were the most precious of treasures.

Mizu had busied herself with gathering several empty vials along with Hinata's cauldron the fox demon used to concoct her various poison powders. The cast iron melting pot weighed down Mizu considerably and she was reduced to asking Hidesuke to gather the cauldron's stand. At a significantly slower pace, the pair crawled back to the predetermined meeting place where Hinata was waiting for them.

They traveled under the cloak of night for several miles, finally coming to rest in the heart of a dense forest on the outskirts of a shrine. They would have made it further had it not been for Mizu's constant prattle and Hidesuke's raw nerves. Mizu came to join her fellow fugitives, nursing a throbbing welt on the back of her head, leading Hidesuke to prepare for bed in an attempt to escape her unwanted company.

"Humph. What's with him?" Mizu grumbled, her pursed lips still slightly raised at the corners.

Hinata, still not over being berated by Mizu back at their previous hideout, turned her back toward the water elemental rather unceremoniously as she tended the slow burning embers. "It's been a long night. Get to sleep." she directed, setting up the cauldron over the the minute fire, setting out the multitude of scarce ingredients rather than looking at her white haired companion.

"What exactly happened back then?" Mizu asked, her voice almost a whisper like she believed speaking about such things would bring back more than just painful memories. "I've been kept in the dark for eighteen years. Enough is enough, don't you think? I mean, if he's your brother why do you have such a grudge against him?"

Another small log was added to the minuscule fire. While the trio kept the blaze to a minimum to avoid detection, Hinata knew the current fire would extinguish long before her tale did. She wondered where to start, deciding the beginning would be as good a launching point as any. She cast a glance over at her lightly slumbering ward before facing Mizu and taking a deep breath.

"He proved early on that he would be the golden child." Hinata started out, roughly hacking at the foliage before her, bitterness already tainting the story. "I was neither seen nor heard. It was easier that way. I was out from under foot and left to my own devices while my brother was groomed into a fine thief. Of course my parents never missed an opportunity to remind me of my place in the family. Truth be told, I despised him before I had ever spoken to him.

"The family garden became my sanctuary. The variety and assortment of plants became my friends and the only companions, I convinced myself, I would ever need. Each were different and yet seemed to be able to coexist with the other vegetation in a way my family could never comprehend. Trees lined the makeshift fence, testing their luck, never giving up the search for a weakness in the structure. Shrubs and grasses coated the rich brown soil. A single stone pathway broke up the green carpeting of vegetation which bloomed with brilliant hues of various colors as the seasons passed without fail.

"I took great care in nurturing the sickly plants until they thrived, honing my skills and vowing to protect each leaf and tendril as they taught me of their toxins and affects. Imagine my surprise when it came time to fulfill my promise to the garden I had come to know better than any other. The intruder cut his way into my inner sanctum, trampling over some of the younger plants that never had a chance. I could not let this go unpunished." Hinata's chopping pace intensified as her tone became colder and an almost sadistic smile slithered across her features. "I called to one of the creeping vines, urging it to snake across the soil toward the outsider who had been ducking from the gracious cover of one plant to another. A small silver dagger glistened in his clasped hands, but not for long. The vine had already ensnared him and he hadn't even realized until it bound his knees together. Of course by that point, it was too late. I watched as the vine consumed his form, and grinned as he took his last shuttering breath. He was my first kill." Hinata's evil smile shone in the darkness, her teeth glimmering in the dim lighting of the campfire as she forcefully pushing the ingredients into the cauldron with a clatter.

Mizu felt herself shiver despite the warm air wafting all around her. She waited for Hinata to continue, amazed at the words flowing freely from her commonly mute partner.

"He noticed me then. I didn't realize it at the time, but that assassin had been meant for him and I had inadvertently protected my biggest foe." A curt laugh erupted from her as she mused over a recent thought. "I wonder if he knew I hadn't done it for him, but rather the plants that had proven to be stronger allies. No matter. I was a fool then and eagerly agreed to be a part of a band of thieves he meant to construct. I had willingly become his pawn, a disposable asset."

The bitterness that had laced her every word previously seemed to dissipate as a genuine, albeit small, smile replaced the evil sneer she had worn before.

"A family formed around me for the first time and I was again reminded of the plants that were able to share the same space and create a network of roots with their neighbors. It was comfortable and I was content to follow the lead of my older brother who, at that time, had yet to be feared. To me, those times before the band grew too big were more precious than all the trinkets we pocketed over the years. During that time, I perfected three out of my eventual eight poison powders. Those that came with me wore masks for protection since, regrettably, my restoration powder was not included in the three I mentioned previously. Haniyasu helped me perfect that one while she was pregnant with Hidesuke." Hinata explained as she cast an affectionate look over at the dozing earth elemental, watching the affects of the flickering light from the fire play across his face.

* * *

The toddler prince of the spirit world rubbed his eyes, his pacifier threatening to fall from his mouth, wide open in a failed attempt to quell a serge of yawns that plagued him at such an early hour. He sat perched on his desk, waiting for the members of Team Urameshi to commence their impromptu meeting. "So what's this all about Kurama?" Koenma inquired, retreating to his high backed chair and propping his feet upon his desk.

"All will be made clear in time." Kurama reassured the cranky prince.

One by one, the remaining three members of the team wandered in through the large double doors. Both Yusuke and Kuwabara looked around the room with half lidded eyes, finally focusing on Kurama.

Hiei on the other hand strode into the room with a purpose, determined to get the background on the vexing demon who had managed to get under his skin. He glowered at the humans in the room until they settled and Kurama was able to begin.

"Hinata," Kurama started, shaking his head before trying another approach. "I wasn't even aware of her existence until she killed a fledgling assassin. I needed someone loyal with which to start my band of thieves. I had expected to be met with resistance, but she all but jumped at the opportunity to join me. She remained in the shadows, content with not being the center of attention which worked out for the both of us. I got the infamy I so desired and she seemed complacent with watching the group grow with my reputation.

"She was diligent and deadly with her poison powders. They became her trademark and her specialty. She, she was so happy when she perfected one." Kurama trailed off, remembering the genuine smiles Hinata was renowned for in the makeshift family and his heart sank. His mind wandered, only for an instant, as he wondered how long it had been since she had last smiled like that.

"Yomi had set up the heist, wanting to prove himself after his latest fiasco. He didn't want to be upstaged by Hinata as was normally the case. Had it not been for her health at the time, I would have argued against leaving her." Kurama continued, no longer nostalgic. "She was upset at being left behind on a heist. She was supposed to head out for the new safe house along with Haniyasu, an earth elemental days away from having a child.

"The heist itself was less than our best. Several lives were lost, and I count Hinata as one of them. She deserted us." he finished, his voice just above a whisper in its quiet intensity.

After a few minutes to compose himself, Kurama continued with the story several human lifetimes in the making. "Years progressed and, through cunning, I outlived all my comrades. Although centuries had passed, my sister's memory persisted to plague me. I set out to find and confront her about her treachery. I had constructed a band of thieves with her at my side before and planned to duplicate it regardless of if she wanted to comply.

"I never got that chance. I'm sure you are all well aware of the hunters that tracked me down. In order to preserve myself, I was forced to abandon my quest of finding my sister. That is, until now." An ancient hunger, the likes of which no one in the room had ever been witness to, pulsed within Kurama. The only cure for such a hunger would be for him to fulfill his quest nearly two decades in the making, and that was precisely what he intended to do.

"I'm coming for you Hinata." Kurama growled to himself, walking through the boundary between worlds. The rising sun signalling the dawn of a world of new possibilities neither he nor Hinata had anticipated.


End file.
